7 Signs You Have Too Much “Stuff”

Posted by Jennifer Black on July 13, 2018 at 8:07 AM

Has your personal property or “stuff” taken over your space? It may be time to clear the clutter from your home. We have 7 signs to help you decide if your possessions are holding you back from truly enjoying your home. In many cases, we can become immune to the number of items we accumulate over time because we have grown accustomed to it always being there. Essentially it becomes a part of your living environment and we begin to accept the place of clutter in our homes.

If you think you may need to reclaim your space from “stuff,” you may be right. Here is a list of 7 signs you may have too much in your home:

1.You purchased items to organize and never declutter.Uncluttered Simplicity suggests reducing what you own first before you organize. In one of their recent blog articles, their advice is “declutter before you organize...When your solution to clutter is to buy more clutter in order to store your clutter, the end result is well-hidden clutter. Reduce what you own. Next, shop around your own home before adding anything to your cart. You may discover you already own all of the storage solutions you need.”

2.“You have more shoes than there are days in a season,” says shepicksuppennies.com. Realistically some of these pairs have more than likely never been worn or are being saved for a “special occasion someday.” If someday hasn’t arrived in the past year or two, it may be time to consider purging a few pairs of shoes to reclaim more space in your closet.

3.You have trouble finding items like keys or other daily essentials frequently.This may be a sign that your space is becoming limited as you accumulate more items. Professional organizing experts, like those with Caring Transitions, suggest using baskets or hooks to hang or place keys in. Sixfiguresunder.com suggests trouble finding items can cause you to spend money unnecessarily. They further explain, “[r]e-buying items you already have wastes money and time (and “time is money”). You might think the cost is nominal, but when you have multiples of everything in your house, the cost really adds up. Plus, bringing more stuff into your house will perpetuate the clutter problem and clutter costs.”

4.Clothing litters the floor.In a recent bustle.com article organizational expert, Dorothy Breininger says this is “a good sign you own way too many pieces. Folks who have fewer items in their closet tend to care for the small amount of clothing they have," Breininger says. “Because they don't have any excess, they can't afford to leave things lying around — making this an excellent barometer.“

5.You have items you haven’t used in years.Similar to number 4, this is also a sign you may own too much. If there are items you’ve owned for years and only used once or twice within that time span, it may be excess.

6.You have multiple “junk drawers.”Most homes have a “junk drawer” or similar concept that acts as a catch-all for small knick-knacks, papers, or any item without a home. Organizational expert Andrew Mellen says well-organized homes don’t have this issue, and “[e]very item needs a place where it "lives." Setting things down [anywhere] creates piles and confusion." He also suggests asking yourself where your items live and having a precise answer to that question. Mellen advises, “you never lose anything when you put it where it lives.”

7.It’s hard to let go of items connected to memories or emotions.Erin Condren, expert organizer says we can “become emotionally attached to 'things' that we probably don't even need.” She goes on to say it’s healthy “to hold onto meaningful items, even if you don't use them every day. But if you get sentimental about everything, the stuff in your life can quickly add up.”

If these signs describe your home, you are ready to reclaim your space from clutter. There are many options and tactics to attack clutter on your own, but quite often this can be an overwhelming task. If merely reading this article overwhelms you, you may want to consider hiring Caring Transitions to help you clear space in your home or the home of a loved one using one of our liquidation options. An estate sale or online auction could help you reclaim your space and earn extra money as well.